Births and deaths in Europe

Main article: Population of the European Union

2024: Fertility rate: 1.4 children per woman

2023: Life expectancy in Europe

Life expectancy in European countries in 2023

2022

Scotland leads Europe in drug deaths

In 2022, 1,051 people died as a result of drug abuse in Scotland. In terms of mortality from prohibited substances, this country is the leader among all European states, as reported in mid-August 2023.

The number of deaths recorded in 2022 from drug use is the lowest in Scotland since 2017. The peak was recorded in 2020, when drugs claimed the lives of 1,339 people in this country.

Reducing the figure to 1,051 people is still equivalent to almost three deaths a day and is the highest among all countries in Europe, including the UK, Sky News said, citing published statistics.

The study suggests a decrease in the number of deaths due to drug abuse in the age group from 25 to 55 years. However, deaths among older adults are on the rise; in addition, the number of deaths among women remains high. In 2022, Scotland had exactly twice as many drug-related deaths among men as women. The average age of people dying due to drug taking in the country in 2022 was 45 years, while in 2000 it was significantly less - 32 years.

An increase in the number of deaths among citizens who use cocaine was recorded. In 2021, this substance was responsible for 30.3% of deaths, and in 2022 the figure rose to 35.3%. Most often, deaths provoke opiates (heroin, morphine and codeine). In addition, benzodiazepines (sedatives, including xanax and valium) contribute to the total number of deaths. More than nine in ten deaths occur in citizens who use several illegal drugs.^[1]

Excess mortality amid COVID-19

Data for 2020-2022

2021: Fertility rate drops to 1.53 children per woman

2020: Life expectancy has declined in almost all EU countries

Life expectancy at the end of 2020 decreased in almost all countries of the European Union. Relevant data are provided by the statistical agency Eurostat.

According to him, since the 1960s, life expectancy has increased by an average of two years per decade, but in 2020 this figure fell in 22 out of 27 countries. The largest drop occurred in Spain (- 1.6 years), Bulgaria (-1.5 years), Lithuania, Poland and Romania (-1.4 years each).

It also found that the average population length declined more among the male population. In Bulgaria, the figure decreased by 1.7 years, in Latvia and Poland by a year and a half, in Spain and Romania by 1.4 years.

Life expectancy decreased in 2020 in almost all EU countries

According to Eurostat Sweden data, 7.7% more deaths in 2020 than the average for the previous four years. In countries that introduced strict population isolation measures, such as Spain Belgium, the so-called excess mortality was 18.1% and 16.2%, respectively.

In 21 of the 30 countries for which statistics are available, the excess mortality rate is higher than in Sweden. At the same time, the situation in Sweden was much worse compared to its northern neighbors: in Denmark, 1.5% of excess mortality was registered, and in Finland - 1%. In 2020, there was no excess mortality in Norway at all.

Demographic problems in the EU, in particular aging and population decline, are recognized at the official level. Thus, according to the report of the European Commission "Consequences of Demographic Changes," by 2070 the number of people of working age in the EU will decrease by 18%, and the share of residents aged 65 years and older will increase to 30.3%. At the same time, the entire EU population will account for no more than 4% of the global population, although in 1960 this figure was almost 12%.^[2]

2019

Mean age of women at birth of first child

EU Country Data - 2019 US Data - 2013

The birth rate reached a minimum since 1962 - 4.17 million children

At the end of March 2021, it became known that 4.17 million children were born in the European Union (EU) in 2019, and the birth rate reached a record low since 1962. The trend towards a lower birth rate began to appear after the 2008 crisis, when 4.68 million people were born in the EU.

The overall fertility rate in the EU in 2019 was 1.53 births per woman, slightly below the recent peak in 2016 (1.57) but still higher compared to 2001 (1.43). The highest overall fertility rate was observed in 2008, 2010 and 2016 (1.57), in between it ranged between 1.51 and 1.57.

The highest birth rate is observed in France: in 2019, it became an EU member with the highest total fertility rate (1.86 live births per woman), followed by Romania (1.77), the Czech Republic, Ireland and Sweden (all three in 1.71) and Denmark (1.70).

EU births hit 2019 low since 1962 - 4.17 million children

In contrast, the lowest fertility rates were observed in Malta (1.14 births per woman), Spain (1.23), Italy (1.27), Cyprus (1.33), Greece and Luxembourg (1.34 each).

However, despite the decline in the birth rate, the number of births to foreign-born mothers is increasing. The number of children born to foreign-born mothers - both from other EU member states and non-EU countries - has been on the rise since 2013 (that is, since comparable data became available).

The proportion of children born to foreign-born mothers varies significantly between Member States, with more than 65% of Luxembourg-born children in 2019 being foreign-born mothers, while in Cyprus, Austria and Belgium the proportion was around one-third. In nine other countries, the number of children born to mothers from abroad remained less than 10%, with the lowest proportion (2%) in Bulgaria, Slovakia and Poland.^[3]

2018

Proportion of population less than 14 years by country

Proportion of residents under 14 years of age in Europe, 2018

25 thousand people died in road accidents (+ 1 %)

The worst EU countries in terms of the number of deaths on the roads.

Eastern European countries still have the highest mortality rate. In 2018, Romania had 96 deaths per million inhabitants, the highest of any EU member state. In 2018, 25,000 people died in road accidents in all 28 Member States. That equates to 49 road deaths per million residents, up one percent from 2017.

Traffic safety

The number of deaths on the roads per 100 thousand vehicles. Data for 2018

Drug deaths

The number of drug-related deaths between the ages of 15 and 64 per million inhabitants. Data for 2018

2017

In the EU in 2017, 5.1 million people were born, 90 thousand less than a year earlier. The mortality rate was 5.3 million, which is 134 thousand less than the previous year.

Per 1000 inhabitants there are births:

• Ireland - 12.9,
• Sweden - 11.5,
• France - 11.4,

...

• Spain - 8.4,
• Portugal - 8.4
• Greece - 8.2
• Italy - 7.6.

The average for the European Union is 9.9 births per 1000 people.

Per 1,000 inhabitants, there are deaths:

• Spain - 9,

...

• Lithuania - 14.2,
• Latvia - 14.8,
• Bulgaria - 15.5,

The European average coefficient is 10.3 deaths per 1000 inhabitants^[4] of Europe in^[4].

2013: Number of suicides

The annual number of suicides per 100 thousand inhabitants in Europe. Data for Russia for 2013

Notes